There are various different kinds of essays that a person has to write throughout their life. Most of the essays that you will be writing are either very factual or consist of a lot of research and analysis. This makes it very boring for the reader who has to go through it. You can try and add a personal narrative to an essay to make it more appealing. We do understand that it is not possible to add a personal touch to all kinds of essays, but if there is an option of adding such an instance then you should definitely do so.
If you do not feel very confident with where and how to add a personal anecdote in your essay, then you can always get help from educational consultants like Allessaywriter. You need to fill up a form to submit your requirements and then pay the fees. Once you have completed the payment, you will be assigned a narrative essay writer who will guide you on how to write the perfect essay.
Why Do Personal Experiences Matter?
The following are a few reasons why adding some personal experiences to your essay will help you to connect with your readers in a better way.
Engages Your Reader –
If you use a personal anecdote as a hook, it will immediately draw your readers in. The point that had previously seemed very abstract to them will now become more easily understandable. For example, if you are stating an anecdote about perseverance, you could mention how you were struggling with starting your business and how you kept on pushing through and finally made it big. Sharing such experiences will help you grab the reader’s attention in an instant.
Helps illustrate Complex Ideas –
At times, it is very difficult to simplify a complex topic and explain it to people who are absolutely new to this concept. If you are not able to explain it properly, then the reader will not understand it at all and will become very disinterested in reading through your essay. Now, when you add a very relatable experience to your essay and vividly describe it, it becomes easier for your reader to understand what you meant to say.
Adds Credibility –
While writing an essay, you definitely need to mention facts and analyze them, but at times, you also need to add credibility to it. When you add any kind of personal story to prove a point that you made, it shows that you have understood what you are saying and you believe in it. It shows that you are not just stating facts for the sake of saying it. Let’s say you are writing an essay on environmental protection, you share a personal anecdote of witnessing the destruction of a children’s park for the construction of a shopping complex.
Now, how do you bridge the gap between boring academic writing and a compelling personal story? You definitely should not fill up the entire essay with personal stories, you can use a few here and there and then connect them with the argument that you are explaining.
How to Effectively Integrate Personal Experiences into Your Essay?
You have understood why it is essential to include personal experiences in an essay in order to keep your audience engaged. Next, you need to know how to properly integrate this information into your essay so that they do not feel forced. Here’s how you can do so.
Relevance is Key –
Do not just randomly write down any piece of information anywhere. You need to ensure that the personal experience that you are mentioning is relevant to the point that you want to make.
Why is it Important –
At times, just mentioning your experience is not enough. You need to explain how it is related to the point that you are trying to prove or how it is related to the theme of your essay.
Add Proper Descriptions –
Describe your experience in proper detail. Do not mention extra unnecessary things, but use vivid descriptions and sensory details to unfold your story in front of your readers. Using detailed descriptions help to engage the readers more than just blandly sharing your experience.
Strike a Balance –
Although adding personal experiences to your essays is a great way to keep your readers hooked to your writing, you need to maintain a balance. These anecdotes should not dominate your essay. Instead use them strategically to put emphasis on the points that you want to make.
Well, now that you know what to do to add personal experiences into essays, you should also be aware of what you are not supposed to be doing.
What to Not Add to an Essay?
When you add certain personal experiences into an essay that you are writing, you are making it more interesting for the reader to go through it. But there is a certain limitation to that. You cannot just keep on adding various kinds of personal stuff to your essay. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind.
Overindulgence –
Remember that you are writing an essay, it is not a story about yourself. So do not give a lot of details about yourself. Focus only on the specific experience that directly contributes to your argument.
TMI –
Do not provide too much information about yourself. Your readers will love to read about certain experiences of yours, but you should try to avoid including irrelevant or overly personal details as it could make them feel uncomfortable.
Lack of Focus –
Ensure that you establish the connection between your experience and the point that you want to establish. Do not spend a lot of time explaining your experience. Focus more on the point that you were trying to prove in your essay.
Lack of Analysis –
Do not just mention your experience. Analyze it and show how it is related to the topic and the point that you were mentioning.
To Wrap It Up,
Adding personal experiences or anecdotes definitely helps in adding value to your writing. It engages the person who will be going through your writing and will keep them hooked onto the end. You should remember that whatever you write should be relevant to the point that you want to prove. Also, you should try to maintain balance and not just keep rambling about everything that has happened in your life.
